Ultimate solution to long-term unemployment?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The cost of long-term unemployment to the American taxpayers may soon be unsustainable.
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DailyFinance.com reports that more than six million workers say they've been unemployed for more than 26 weeks. That means the long-term unemployed represent more than 40 percent of all the unemployed - one of the highest levels ever. The average length of unemployment for this group is nearly seven months.
The payment of unemployment benefits for longer and longer periods of time adds to the deficit. One expert points out that the high unemployment rate, plus longer time collecting jobless benefits, is a dangerous combination. He says the government could be on track to spend $250 billion a year on unemployment benefits alone.
Another downside is that some workers tend to lose their skills, which means they risk becoming unemployable. They either have to move down the employment ladder or get re-trained for other jobs.
No surprise a new poll suggests that jobs are a top concern for many Americans. A Gallup poll shows 31 percent of those surveyed say unemployment is the most important problem facing the country today.
And, when asked what they think will be the top problem facing the U.S. in 25 years, the top response is the federal budget deficit.
The irony here is the more the government spends on jobs programs and unemployment benefits now, the more our $12 trillion-plus national debt will continue to grow.
Here’s my question to you: What's the ultimate solution to long-term unemployment?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Dave writes:
Lower the tax rates for small businesses! I can attest to the fact that last year my small business did exceedingly well.
I paid a six figure sum for my corporate annual tax. I would GLADLY have used much (if not ALL) of that to hire additional people. I already have a staff of 18 folks and we all work more than 40 hours a week. Business is great – and I want to grow.
Moe in Dallas writes:
Let's get the jobs back here in our country. Yes, I'm sure goods would cost a little more, but paying for unemployment and welfare and other benefits would go down a lot. Wouldn't it be nice to call about a bill or computer repair and be able to understand the other party?
Joe writes:
Unemployment will be a major problem as long as we allow unfair trade and don't stop illegal immigration. We need to renegotiate trade agreements to take into account an unfair advantage to countries with no heath insurance, no social security, no worker protections, and no environmental regulations. It all contributes to the cost of manufacturing in the U.S.
Pat in Staten Island, New York writes:
The facilitation of private sector growth, via tax cuts, is what has worked in the past. Sadly, it seems all the growth lately has been in government employment. The pending health care bill is chock full of mandates that will cripple small businesses. The people who provide jobs, contrary to what this administration thinks, are not the enemy.
Jim writes:
I do not think there is a government solution to the current problem. Life comes at us in cycles, some good and some not so good. It is up to each individual to persevere and make the best that they can from the situation. Each person should strive on enriching themselves in education and supporting others. I doubt there will ever be a government solution to self motivation. You either have it or you do not.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Stop exporting our jobs, and retail dollars. In Canada we are finally starting to bring back some of our call centres from India (Bell Canada), because of the overwhelming negative response. People are starting to finally realize that the "stage props" for goods we are buying from China, are not worth the savings.
We have to return basic manufacturing to the US, from off shore. To do that, we either can provide manufacturers incentives......which might not work, or we can simply tax the heck out of goods manufactured off shore by American companies. That is the more likely to get acted upon.
To allow American companies to take all manufacturing out of the country, was the most foolish, insane thing, government has done, in years.
I don't think Washington really understands that manufacturing of assorted goods, is the backbone of our economy. Even if it is cheaper to produce those goods off shore, to lose the jobs involved, is self-sacrificial. It is better to have jobs, and pay more for the goods here, than in other countries.
The side benefit, is that the goods are much more likely to be safe, and reliable, than is currently the case with goods produced off shore.
There is no question, however, that the era of American consumerism, has come to an end, and the future will hold more austerity, for Americans.
More jobs
GET rid of all POLITICIANS. send them overseas for our jobs back.We can trade them off. FREE TRADE??????for our old jobs. I bet China don't want them
To embrace and develop the technologies of the future. To move into the 21st century, and stop the catering and pandering to corporations that want to drain every last drop of blood out of the status quo.
We need a motherload of available, long term, decent paying jobs...for a start. Emphasis should be on the creation of viable employment to sustain a healthy economy.
Jack, Outsourcing millions of American jobs must stop immediately, for any solution to long term unemployment. Our feckless and pandering leaders have outsourced millions and millions of american job for several decades. We loose jobs and CEO's rake in the profits. 2.2 billion dollars in stimulus money, for green American jobs in Texas is going to China. That's 2,000 jobs for Communist China and 150 for Texans. China gets paid to build em and we get paid to stick em in the ground. Wrong!
Maybe it's time to just start OUTSOURCING unemployment.
Tax cuts and incentives for businesses so they can grow and hire people. Keep big government out of the free market place except for moderate and transparent regulations. Free enterprise and American ingenuity did it before and it will do it again. What is so difficult to understand?
Jack: Americans need to buy products made in United States of America. This means a careful inspection of labels to see if the product was made in the USA. Remember, Honda's, Toyota's, KIA's,and Subaru's are manufactured in the United States. Buying products produced here will cause employers to hire more people. Construction projects should not be put on hold until the recession is over; but rather, push to get them started, now.
there are three things that would not be "THE ultimate solution" but would definately help, Jack
first, hold employers accountable for using illegal alien labor. with upwards of 20 million of them working in this country, that's 20 million jobs American citizens should be doing.
second, STOP giving tax breaks to corporations that move jobs offshore. the Federal tax incentives need to be for employers that manufacture in America.
third, pass "Medicare for All" single payer healthcare. without the burden of corporations having to provide healthcare to their workers they will be able to hire more workers. this country has lost millions of manufacturing jobs to countries like Canada that have a government single payer system.
Answer to unemployment? End the government meddling in wages and companies. Return us to a free market system, and let business grow. Liberal nonsense like minimum-wage laws are only worsening the problem. Of course, both parties want to control the world, so let's pin the blame on both, and start listening to free-market believers like Ron Paul...
More jobs.
We were dumb enough to export all our manufacturing jobs by eliminating tariffs as part of "free trade", so now companies make things where the cost of living is cheaper, and wages are, too.
Then they bring the products here and sell them for US prices, increasing their profit margins and forcing American workers to compete with Chinese wages of 30 cents an hour, or lose their jobs.
And they've been losing their jobs.
If we identify the amount of labor content in a product, then add a tariff to adjust the labor rate of the labor in the product to American wage levels, then imported products will cost as much as products made in the US.
Companies will have to compete on quality and features, instead of who can find the cheapest source of labor in the world. Labor costs would be a level playing field.
Sure, products will be a little more expensive. But they'll be better made and last longer. It won't be cheap crap filled with lead that breaks in 6 months.
And American quality of life won't be a race to the bottom anymore.
Jack
Same as it was then and is NOW.You can not throw money at it.Only private business can start the jobs picture.We have wasted over a year
and have nothing.Housing and jobs should have been number 1 on day 1
David
Hello Jack Cafferty and CNN friends,
The ultimate solution to long-term unemployment is that all the towns in the world are:
– Creating More Jobs to Boast the Economy!
– Stopping Consumer Fraud, Domestic Violence and Other Crimes!
– Creating a Better Health Care System!
– Using More Solar and Wind power!
Conclusion:
OUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT!
Advice
Let us Now make our world
a Better Healthier and Beautiful World
for You and for Me!
Greetings,
Jurgen R. Brul
Hometown: Paramaribo
Country: Suriname
Latin-American
Turn back the clock to the 80's before the Politicians lead by the Clintons sent our jobs overseas, and allowed many disgusting dishonest activities inc derrivatives worldwide.
The Global Society has backfired in a large way !!
Joanne
Mn
Fix health care so companies can afford to have employees.
This is a no-brainer. The way to stop long term unemployment is for companies to stop shipping jobs overseas.
What's the ultimate solution to long-term unemployment?
Government jobs. There is enough that needs to be done in our nation that jobs can be created to employ those that need employment.
People who have jobs, pay taxes, buys/rents homes, buys goods and services, etc..
Jenna
Roseville CA
Stop giving companies tax credit for offshoring jobs and start penalizing them for doing so. If we make it cheaper for companies to hire people in the United States that will lower our joblessness. Also, i hate to say it cause i sound like a broken record, but we MUST fix our education and health care(less) systems.....
How about doing what some other countries do. If you want to sell your product in this country it must be manufactured here in the USA. This would make America strong again.
Business can't hire right now, no one is buying. Ask anyone running a small business and they will tell you the same thing. No amount of tax credits or lending will spur small businesses to hire. Only the government can create jobs. If it means filling every pot hole and trimming every bush and picking up every piece of trash and repainting every sign and every road line, the government must find a way to get people working again. When people have jobs and income, they will begin to spend again, then businesses can step in and create new jobs.
Long-term work visa's to China with discount airfare?
The ultimate is to stop paying for not working. If people did not collect money for sitting at home and actively look for work rather than rely on Obamachecks, we could put people to work. If you lower the tax rates as a result of not paying these expenses, it would create more opportunity and incentive for business to create more jobs.
While I understand there are many people who need that unemployment check, as long as the Federal Government keeps extending unemployment, I know too many people who aren't even looking, they're content to sit and collect.
You want to decrease unemployment – give them some incentive – stop extending unemployment. There are jobs out there!
The private sector does not have a solution to long term unemployment and doesn't want one. Their solution to immigration, poverty, low income, health care, education, etc., is: If you don't like it, don't move here, and if you are already here, "leave," or take what we give you!
The good ones say this Country is for "us," we built it, and we are the only ones entitled to a decent standard of living, and all we need the less privileged for is to work on our plantations. We have been in and out of periods of prosperity and poverty since this country was founded, and it is not likely anything will ever change.
This opinion is not mine, I have been hearing it for years, and if you don't believe me, then you probably have not seen as broad of an area of the Country as I have.
How about getting rid of the illegal immigrants so there would be no unemployment!!!
To start with we have to send back all the Illegals sponging off the backs off Americans. There may not be the great jobs Americans like but it is better then NO job at all. That will get a heck of a lot of Americans working again spending money & taking back the pride
Of the middle class. And Stop sending our jobs out of the Country.
If a CO wants to hire workers in other Countries & not support America then they should have to give up there right to live here let them raise their Familes where ever they are supporting workers & getting their tax breaks. English is # 1 our forfathers fought for it &
it is our language. Politicaly Correct be damned. It's one thing to help the repressed it's another to take the food out of an Americans mouth
to do it. It's time to Stand up for America Charity starts at Home.
Thank You
Michele Shawnee KS
We need to start making things in this country again, instead of companies "out-sourcing" everything. When I worked at Texas Instruments in 1970, our jobs were moved out of the country. It is just Corporate greed. Making Wall street expectations is all that matters.
Fred
Ocala, FL
sure. Bring all the damn jobs back that were outsourced .God forbid you have to talk to someone out of the US for help– you don't get any. A total joke , that's why their so cheap.. well with the exception of Canada .
and stop all work visas to the US – its all BS,
Repeal NAFTA and impose tariffs on all imported good.
Re-start our manufacturing industries.
Commence repair of our infrastructure and pay for it by imposing a 90% tax on all assets in excess of $10 million.
Give everyone a government job ?
Everyone.........not just the ones that made a contribution to a canadate's re-election.
Jerry in GA
We've got to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, the country will never survive with just a service based economy, Manufacturing built this country to what it is now, but now you can see the decline in jobs, and everything that is associated with a good manufacturing base.
Jack, I'll keep it clean and simple for you- the Ultimate solution is creating jobs. nothing more, nothing less.
(Nova Scotia, Canada)
Hi Jack,
I think the solution to unemployment is the same for the USA as it is for Canada. Responsible government spending would create budgetary surpluses, or at least the possibility of a reallocation of resources. Rather than social assistance resulting in a perpetual state of unemployability, it should require education or community contributions. If you want to get social assistance, then you find a way to make your existing skill set work for the community in which you live. Growing accustomed to working for your income will likely result in a desire to be paid a better wage. Better wages means an ambition to find gainful employment. Social assistance usage decreases as a result, thus freeing up more government money for social spending like education, health care, and supplementing the green shift for industry. Seems like common sense, which would explain why government hasn't gotten there yet. We never seem to elect common sense. Or when we do, as has proven the case with President Obama, partisanship and the desire for power rather than responsible leadership shoots progress in the foot.
Your northern neighbour,
Matt
There is none, there will always be poor. Ultimately, and what the captains of our government and industry failed to understand, there have to jobs in economy for all levels of ability, skills, and physical attributes. By killing American industry, our leaders have removed a necessary part of our job structure that helps ameliorate the problems that the weakness of one industry segment or another causes. Short-sighted. Not everyone can work on Wall Street or in the high tech sector.
Tell me Jack. Its been 5 years+. Master's degree. Published papers in peer reviewed journals. but, I'm white, male and over 50.
Jack,
A practical economic solution is "protectionism," based upon how China and other countries abuse laws of humanity, all in the name of profit and power. We need to restore our manufacturing base, after all ... how did China become so wealthy? Answer, by having stupid greedy American politicians allow Americans to purchase Chinese products. It is more than just a question of cheaper prices for the consumer. Look at society and how it reflects the American attitude of me first; therefore, American companies manufacture overseas for profit of chief executive officers, and money hungry financial manipulators.
We need to rebuild our manufacturing base and to hell with all free trade treaties, which were never FREE.
Joe, Binghamton, NY
FDR demonstrated, in spite of all the fear-mongering opposition, exactly what will work; 'public work projects,' i.e. spending, that create national infrastructure and conservation. This is what national stewardship is all about, caring for what exists and creating rather than destroying. Production and trade enablement is good, yes, but private profit and corporate exploitation promotion and protection is not good. And in which of these approaches are our governments (local, state & federal) most involved?
Making it easier for private companys to make money by getting the government out of the way. The current administration seems to think that hiring more government union workers is going to work. Between the unions and cap and trade you will see more jobs going out of the country so corporations can compete with foriegn companies. So don't expect unemployment to improve anytime in the forseeable future.
Unemployment will be a mjor problem as long as we allow UNFAIR Trade and don't stop illegal immigration. We need to renegotiate Trade Agreements to take into account an ufair advantage to counyries with no heath insurance, no social security, no worker protections, and no environmental regulations – all conbribute to the cost of manufacturing in the US. We need to start cracking down on explotative employeers who entioce illegals – do this and illegal immigration is minimized. Once we to those things, we will continue to have reidyal unemployment which varies with the economy. It seems obvious that the only solution to this aspect is for the government to become an employer of lasdt resort – with an eye to placing people in the private sector and making a stint with the government temporaty. In the long run this is more cost effective than having people unemployed.
Three things: 1. Stop adding to the government workforce - that adds to the tax burden and the debt without creating intinsic value. 2. Reduce the tax burden on private companies to encourage both research and production of leading exportable technologies. 3. Expel as many illegals as you can stomach - they are taking jobs that legals need and shippping a bunch of the money back to their home countries anyway.
Jack, we have to produce products. We have to create and make things and sell them. We can't use the Wall Street or banks models of manipulating money and really creating nothing. We need to get back to the basics of employing Americans to make products. Not send our jobs overseas. Otherwise we end up paying people who can't find a job because there are so few jobs. We end up trying to bail out the workers after we bail out the Wall Street banks who got us into this mess.
Jack, the answer is Jobs, Jobs, Jobs in America. The Republican lawmakers gutted 8 million jobs and shipped them all overseas. The Republican lawmakers are directly responsible for the millions of factory's that are now shuttered due to these horrific economic times.
Thanks entirely to the Republican party, there is NO 'Made in America' there is only 'Made by Corporate Greed Overseas' courtesy of the Republican Party.
The ultimate solution is giving the federal government more powers to heavily regulate the finance sector for at least the next 5 years. Its time.
Jack, I thought you asked this question once before. You never posted my solution and others that had good soutions. I guess you felt it was not politically proper to post it. Here it is again:
1) Ship all illegals out of the country. Pres Eisenhower did it when he was president to make jobs available for returning vets.
2) Bring back all the jobs back from over seas. That means penalizing corporations that do.
3) Curtail the Unions for killing jobs that corporations have to go abroad to compete for cheaper labor.
It's so simple that even I can understand it.
There are several solutions. First, it has to be law that any company that ships American jobs overseas has a heavy tax incentive not to do so – like equal to twice the amount they save by firing Americans. Then the CEO and other operating officers should have to prove that they are not guilty of treason in a military court. Next, any employer who hires an illegal alien goes to jail for five years – immediately, no excuses, if’s, and’s or buts. And last, any company that keeps Americans employed and/or creates new jobs for Americans, gets very favorable tax incentives. If those companies still find themselves in financial trouble because of these patriotic business practices, I would be in favor of bailout money for them. Hell, we bailed out every other business scumbag in the nation for nearly destroying this country, we can certainly see our way to helping out companies that are trying to save the country instead of destroy it. No, wait a minute… that makes too much sense.
There will never be enough jobs for the people in this country or the rest of the world for that matter. Putting everyone to work is a myth. The world can only absorb so much goods and services. Over capacity will always be a "wolf at the door."
Jack,
The ultimate solution to long-term unemployment is simply puting Americans back to work. But that cannot happen until the economy improves thus creating jobs. The federal government has no choice but to keep funding unemployment all across the board.
This economy will improve over time. Our leaders have done everything humanly possible to set the course to economic recovery. Now were just going to have to wait for the free markets to improve.
I think America needs to do something to stimulate jobs in America for American citizens and quit buying so much from abroad. If there were tighter restrictions on imports it would drive the demand up within our own country for American made items creating more jobs and putting people back to work. We need to create a drive to buy American made products instead of sending our dollars to foreign countries building their economies. In the long run we will be much better off keeping those dollars inside our borders and illegal aliens outside of our borders.. The sooner congress starts working on these issues the better off we will be.
Jack, the solution is to quit paying people not to work. Give them 6 months of unemployment, and then if they don't get a job, it becomes THEIR problem. I am 65 years old, and I have NEVER drawn a day of unemployment, never drawn any kind of welfare since going on my own at age 17, have worked 2 jobs at times to make ends meet, and I have NO-ZERO–sympathy for anyone who can't stand on their own 2 feet. There are jobs out there, if you are hungry enough you will take one or more!
st. pete fl..a right to work law.., match work that needs labor, and someone needing cash. the Employment office will need many of the unemployed to do it. neck if it works right ,after the flacks over, we can find respect again. until the top stop taking 5000 to our one the system will keep tearing apart anyway.
Spend enough to retrain people if they really need it, which will lower the debt in the long term because they will be paying taxes. If they simply give up and downsize on spousal income or lower wage income, tax revenues will decline.
Jack,people need to start doing the jobs Americans won't do.People who feel they are too good to work at a different job or feel a job is below them, need to go hungry and homeless.This will help solve the unemployment and the illegal immigration problem.I guess getting off of one's duff and doing something is just to simple!
Jack:
The solution is long term employment for the bulk of the people who, in fact , wish to work like in the olden days. At the same time government employed, elected, appointed or annointed must be given only short term employment such as term limits and sub-contractor limits (consultants).
Congress could pass legislation that encourages American businesses to return to the U.S.Then maybe we would not see all that Made in China stuff at the local Walmart .However,our lawmakers will likely do nothing at all to restore our middle class jobs. No wonder their approval is at 17%.This should have been a no-brainer a year ago.
It's simple. Our current path is unssustainable. We need drastic cuts in spending and scaling back of the gvoernment machine which has grabbed power from the private sector. Then you need to cut taxes to promote small business and let the free market take over. We are going to be facing astronomical tax rates in the future and our jobs are going to conitnue to flow overseas. We need to remember that superpowers all fail and pretending that prosperity can never end will be our undoing.
re- do the free trade laws and treaties and enforce them. level trade laws will bring back jobs to this country.
People collecting unemployment are NOT going to take low-paying jobs that pay them less than they're collecting. No one in their right mind would. The good jobs have to be there with decent salaries you can live on with the costs of today and benefits have to improve.
Lets get the jobs back here in our country–yes I'm sure goods would cost a little more, but paying for unemployment and welfare and other benefits would go down a lot ..Wouldn't it be nice to call about a bill or computer repair and be able to understand the other party ? Thanks for mentioning this rant Jack..
Gee! How about creating jobs. How about the banks start making small business loans. ooh ooh I have one give 700 billion to the tax payers like we should have done in the first place to simulate the economy. What a bunch of idiots we have running this country
The solution is basic. If you penalize effort and productivity and confiscate profits in the form of taxes imposed by multiple layers of governments and over-seers, licenses, fees, etc. we can expect a continued decline of manufacturing, innovation, production and growth, along with the commensurate employment opportunities. If we want economic growth, we have to provide the environment for it. For now, the only money to be made is to game the system, finagle investments, gain control of government oversight and give yourself a big taxpayer supplied bonus. As a nation, we won't get too far that way.
Jack, the NAFTA and CAFTA agreements have increased imports while decreasing exports. Why these trade agreements are never brought up by the major news services and how they equate to unemployment really baffles me. Both parties knows that these trade deals have not been beneficial to the American worker yet there is no discussion about this topic. I love your show. Mike in Brewster, Ohio
Corporate tax code and trade agreements going back several administrations have crippled our competitiveness in the global market. Add the unsustainable wage and benefit programs that the unions have pushed into contracts with both private and public sector employers, and it's no wonder that businesses and government entities of any size are struggling to survive. Reel in the taxes, stop sending jobs overseas by disallowing unfair trade restrictions, encourage moderation on union demands – and number one – decrease the size of government with restricted spending and a reasonable budget – and jobs will return. The uncertainties created by the massive bills being debated in Washington and the wasteful stimulus spending programs have played a major role in keeping people on unemployment. Message to those on the Hill – Please stop meddling and start governing – responsibly!
I don't intend to appear insensitive, but unemployment benefits need to be terminated after a period of a few weeks and not extended as Congress has done. If the unemployed no longer had benefits perhaps they would accept jobs that they think to be beneath them. Lets be honest Jack, a lot of people are unemployed because they choose to be unemployed.
The Ultimate Solution long-term, would be an all out Military War (world war 3).
Jack,
Why not insist companies bring back the jobs that had been shipped overseas? Then give them to people who can prove they've been on unemployment.
Start again building sustainable products that can be sold at home and abroad! Start co-ops in various fields for people to be able to afford more of the goods and get healthier! A healthy nation will be the one who saves more energy, preserve energy and from building healthier lives will end up costing less to any future generation! As a nation, become responsible once again of your present and of your future by building new foundations for your homes, your families, friends and neighbors, your work place and leisure place and sell this new foundations abroad but adapted to their environmental and social and cultural realities! Become again an example for yourself first, then you will lead again secure in your new individual and collective foundations!
End the "Globalization" nonsense that destroyed the American Middle class, essentially gave us One World Government via an international banking elite, and made it easier to profit from Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian slave labor than skilled American labor.
Start again building sustainable products that can be sold at home and abroad! Start co-ops in various fields for people to be able to afford more of the goods and get healthier while using natural resources more wisely! A healthy nation will be the one who saves more energy, preserve energy and from building healthier lives will end up costing less to any future generation! As a nation, become responsible once again of your present and of your future by building new foundations for your homes, your families, friends and neighbors, your work place and leisure place and sell this new foundations abroad but adapted to their environmental and social and cultural realities! Become again an example for yourself first, then you will lead again secure in your new individual and collective foundations!
The ultimate solution would be turn it over to the last President and let him pay it off. Since he shipped the good jobs out of our Country when he was in office, then at least lay the fault on his door step.
President Obama is trying so hard to get the economy back in shape with absolutely NO help from the Party of NO. We naturally need jobs but how will you get them back into this Country?
Get jobs back on shore and stop squeezing the bottom line until it's dry.
100% tariff on all imports from China, Malysia, Taiwan and Japan. Then a flat tax for the rst of us.
Whitestone, NY
1. Establish job creation ... and GDP building as Core Values in our federal planning & budetting.
2. Revitalize U.S. manufacturing – We now compete against countries who subsidize their industrial infrastructure. We need to subsidize ours in order to compete.
3. Tighten up (working) visas – while some are needed, all are not and companies should be levied a tax/ surcharge for the privilege of hiring foreign workers. And, any company employiing those w/ student visas should be fined.
4. Stop illegal immigration that takes jobs from our poorest people
Jack,
We have watched companies leave this country for almost 30 years. Maybe everybody should move to China and India and any other country and get the jobs. By the way, the average wage in China is about $ 168.00 a month and India is about $ 400.00 a month
BRETT MULLINS
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
That's easy Jack. Make all the companies get rid of their computer controlled, robatic machines and let real people do real work for real money.
I honestly don't know if there is one. We have shipped most of our mid-level jobs overseas. Unless you know a trade, want to work in Mickey D's, or can marry into upper management you are pretty much out of luck. P.S. most of those jobs are full/filled by the unemployed that got there first. Rob in NC
It's as plain as the nose on your face, Jack. Mexico sends us their unemployed, so we simply give all of our unemployed a bus ticket to Mexico City and see how our neighbors to the south like it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Jack,
The solution to long term unemployment is JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!
It would be great for the private sector to create these jobs but we simply are no longer a manufacturing company. I believe in the stimulus concept especailly one that is aimed at getting our infrastucture updated. Isn't that what the WPA did?
frankieg
Isn't there a big down side to no unemployment. People who cling to houses and staying out of wellfare programs by these payments will then inundate other support systems in place. We will just shift the cost of the unemployed to welfare and food stamps etc. The deficit will still grow. These people will not just disappear like the politicians want.
Create 6 million new openings in the military for the unemployed to work in. Gives the currently unemployeed a role in society that we value, and eases the burden of those already serving. Not all roles are combat positions, so even those that have disabilities would be able to work in support of those that do in some capacity. This idea should satisfy both parties, since Republicans support a strong military and Democrats want to give people jobs. Give it a try, nothing else seems to be working.
To create Jobs Jack but we cannot allow people live without unemployment benefits! I do agree that they should extend unemploymet till the end of the year and no more extensions after that!
Scott Stodden (Freeport,Illinois)
Building new postal routes: to a modern function of design and method.
Postal routes of both digital domain: and transported delivery.
Turning those on social assistance back to work: while allowing a new sector for massive growth. Growth which will remove the U.S. from debt by patent and manufactured sale to other nations.
Postal routes which are needed to replace the dependancy on exhaustable crude oil: and replacing it with an system that makes America energy independant.
Giving payroll tax and capital gains holiday for a year and decreasing regulations on small businesses while cutting the public sector payrolls by at least 25% will spur economic growth and hiring.
This would be contrary to Democrats' plan of socialism and government control.
"There is none for the unskilled, they will have to be reskilled in some trade or other. As for the whole work-force, they will have to go on a three day week and still claim some assistance from the government,
Eventually there will be too many to employ anyways, it's inevitable.
Stop importing so many goods in this country and start producing them here at home! Why doesn't anybody state the obvious, you can't collect income or unemployment tax from workers in others countries!
just how stupid are the people running this country (that was a rhetorical question) running into the ground, is what I should have said!
Jack I know you hate incumbents as much as I do, If you really want to ruffle some feathers, start pushing all states to, when they print their election ballots to highlight the incumbents names in red and underline them if they’ve served more than two terms.
I truly believe that a good portion of the voting public are clueless when it comes to who their elected official are! If you can get this ball rolling, you truly are a god.
Dave from Peterborough, NH.
Stop making outsourcing of jobs to other countries so attractive to the corporations. Creating government jobs isn't the answer – the jobs HAVE to be mostly in the private sector.
What everyone including you seem to be forgetting is people and their lives are what is in the health care bill. It is morally right to do this.
Jack,
You should ask the attendees at the Jobs Summit. If anyone can remember, that was the much touted White House event that was held behind closed doors last December, best and the brightest, that type of thing. Funny, but we never heard a peep from any of them...maybe they decided it was hopless to pursue, ate their free meals, picked up a White House souvenir, and jetted back home, never to be heard from again.
Jeff
The Federal Reserve must be dissolved. They have manipulated our dollar and our economy to put us in this situation. The Fed's overall plan is to put America in the place we are in now. We owe other countries so much money, we will never be able to have a free say in the way our country should go. The Federal Reserves free money to Wall St. and Goldman Sachs is just the tip of the iceberg. Now we have a former Fed leader in charge of the treasury, Geitner is as corrupt as Bernanke. Auditing the Fed is a good start to learn the truth, but until we destroy the Fed, we are only playing into the world banks hands. The Fed is not a government branch, they are made up of world banks, and they are not here for Americans future. People need to focus on the real reason, and that is the manipulation of our currency. End the Fed.
Bring back our jobs and develop American pride in our products, corporate America not being allowed to gouge us with high interest charged low interest paid and pay a decent wage for services. These high salaries/bonuses for the rich are the down fall of American. They are totally responsible for the "Broken America".
And our government representatives need an attitude adjustment. All lobbyist need to be outlawed. It is simply corrupting our government. And now are churches are mixed up in it. We need a new tax structure like a flat tax. No state, federal, gas, etc., etc., etc. And last but not the least two new parties.
the solution is to get ourselves on a level playing field with all the other industrialized nations. That means breaking the health insurance company monopoly through a public option. Once insurance companies are no longer able to dictate cost, American companies and workers will once again become competitive.
In a globle world the U.S. can not compete, Americans make more in a hour then a worker in China makes in a day. In Mexico their are no safety ,no eight hour day, no unemployment benetifts, why do you think they are all here?
You have to cut off the benefits eventually because if you don't people
will never go get a job. They become too dependent on the money they
receive each month. You know it may sound harsh but in realty this
is nothing more than welfare. Long-term unemployment will be fixed
when this country starts making things again and become more
inventive, and innovative.
I'm afraid it is too late for any solution. With the tremendous debt load and shipping all manufacturing overseas, eliminating any chance we had of coming out of this, we had better start thinking of what we're going to do with the nation that eventually emerges from this gigantic effort to destroy America.
Jack,
The solution is cutting taxes and cutting spending. Businesses have to know that if they hire new employees to increase productivity and profits they won't be penalized for their success. The Obama administration has given no indication that it won't punish success, and therefore, companies are not hiring. Cutting spending will prove to the world and the banks that lend money that we are committed to being fiscally responsible, thus opening up lines of credit. These two things would indicate to investors that they can again safely invest in America. Once that happens, revenues to the Treasury will increase, because the tax base will be expanded through lower unemployment and higher foreign investments in America.
Deport the illegals and deny government contracts to corporations that move jobs out of the country.
You might as well ask what the cure for cancer is Jack but I have an idea for you to consider. Sense Americans have become open targets for gunmen in Mexico why not take the unemployed ,give them a rifle and put them on the border with an order to shoot on sight. You may as well get something for the money your spending.
get all illegals out of the country
First, we need public-financed health care that doesn't cost the employer. Second we need employers to bring back jobs that they've sent outside our borders. Third we need the unions to back off and stop being part of the problem. Fourth we need people to realize that it isn't dishonorable to only make $12 – $14 per hour. Many people live on that today, and that might be the wage for the jobs that we need to rebuild our manufacturing base.
Allen
Hartwell GA
I've read many places that to create new jobs Americans need to revert to the old pioneering spirit and inventing new products and services that create these jobs. Where do people get the money to do this? Banks aren't lending so the small entenprenaur can't get started the this discovery mission.
Renewable Resources are the answer to this and many of the nations woes right now. If this country would invest even a percentage of the amount of money it is currently putting into a war for oil, into finding a replacement for that very oil, entire new industries can be created sparking millions of jobs and helping our environment.
Hi Jack,
First thing, we as a country need to lose the attitude that we're all somehow entitled. I'm in my thirties and I can remember growing up being told to expect a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. The rest of the employment problem is in the hands of largely traded companies, if they're not profitable, their stocks drop, they lay people off, laid off people cut spending, companies do poorly, profits drop and they lay people off.
Out with the OLD, in with the NEW! This goes for CEOs, government officials, big banks and retailers, all the like.
Jack, Ultimate solution?, I don't know, but with this country's infrastructure falling apart as fast as it is, how about at least trying out some of F.D.R.'s ideas, such as W.P.A.,C.C.P., and others so that at least the money going out at gives us some results. I believe that most of those unemployed would rather be doing something useful than continually getting doors slammed in their faces. An awful lot of this country's construction workers(housing), are not going to be able to go back to their old gigs for many years to come, so how about using some of this brain and brawn for something worthwhile, rather than telling them they need to re-train as nurses and doctors. Seems like a win-win to me. Layne A. Antioch, Il.
or how about "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift?
again, just kidding....
"Here’s my question to you: What's the ultimate solution to long-term unemployment?"
To quote an earlier campaign slogan: "It's the economy, stupid." We must reinvigorate our manufacturing base, which we have allowed to wane due to quick-and-dirty offshoring profits. And to reinvigorate, that means tax policies that encourage business here, not run them off.
Lower the tax rates for small businesses!
I can attest to the fact that last year my small business did exceedingly well.
I paid a six figure sum for my corporate annual tax.
I would GLADLY have used much (if not ALL) of that to hire additional people. I already have a staff of 18 folks and we all work more than 40 hours a week. Business is great – and I want to grow.
Don't hit me with the "my fair share" nonsense. How is my fair share over $100,000? Just because I have a great business idea and I work hard to implement my plan I somehow "owe" this much?
I use just as much of the national/state/city resources as any of my neighboring businesses that did NOT pay that much in taxes. (Side note: I own a software development firm).
Let me re-invest by hiring more people – not sending my hard earned money in to the black hole called Washington.
I can help drop the unemployment rate!
-Dave
I was unemployed for 11 months – from September 2008 to August 2009. Even though I am an experienced engineer, it was, and still is, a buyer's market for the few jobs there are out there. I collected unemployment for 8 months, because I did not file right away. I did not believe that I would be out of work for more than 90 days.
My son graduated from college two years ago and still does not have a job. He has an engineering degree also – but everyone wants experience. How does one get experience when all the basic engineering jobs are offshored?
The worst part (for him) He is losing his edge in his field, because the first few years after graduation is where you "learn your chops" and form your professional profile. He'll be lucky to get started by the time he's 30 the way things are now.
San Dimas, California
Subsidize air travel. Imagine the repercussions to the world's economies if you could play a plane ticket to Paris (and someone in Paris could buy a plane ticket to the U.S.) for maybe $50.
The airlines would get a massive boost.
Hotels.
Car rentals
Restaurants
tourism – all would explode.
Problem solved.
How about another Civil Conservation Corps? We've made a hell of a mess over the past 70 years, with our mercury in the waterways, pollutants in the air and oceans, and trash everywhere (EVERYWHERE!). Let's put people to work, and have a landscape we can all be proud of, and live with.
Quit paying brokers CEO's boneses based on stock performance.Every crook will try anything to get his child those braces she needs. Even taking unneed risk. If your salary was based on your stock performance you would take a lot of risk too. It's not your money after all.
What we need is to actually get your company to build something. It is truly a shame this country really doesn't make anything anymore and until we do there will be unemployed.
Francis B. Edwards
Well, we know what the solution ISN'T: letting the Republicans slash and burn everything in the name of "fiscal responsibility".
Why do we refuse to admit the obvious:
China creates wealth through manufacturing.
North America has given away its manufacturing base and guess what..its not doing well.
How hard is this really to figure out?
I doubt that there is a single solution to this problem. However i am certain that a higher availability of low interest loans to small and medium size businesses will have a major effect. Readily available money is the oil of Industry.
Cut the work week to 32 hours.
And then truly enforce overtime rules.
This would give employers incentive to hire more individuals.
Jack, the long term solution to unemployment is simple, but it REQUIRES the voters to follow through. "We the people" have got to get the message across to each of our Senators & Representatives that unless they SOLVE the problem of unemployment, they will JOIN the ranks of unemployment. And if they fail to solve the problem, they're OUT!!!
Jack,
I was going to say "start a war on two fronts" like we did in WWII to get the industrial base up and people working again. But then I realized we're doing that at this very minute. The only difference is back then we had "war bond" drives and "Meatless Fridays" and "A Sticker" gas rations as everyone chipped in to help the fight. In the current war we just got tax cuts and everyone wants a piece of the bailout pie for themselves.
!?!?!?!? How can we fight a war on TWO fronts with TAX CUTS?!?!!?!?
Sigh.
Dave, Pasadena, CA
It is obvious that there are lots of undone projects all around this country. And there is plenty of money to pay people to do work: The rich people, especially those who got the big bonuses from government money (our money) can employ lots of people to do some work. Why blame Obama for unemployment when there are people who have the money to hire people? Simplistic, yes. But better than more government bureaucracy.
Firing all politicians and replacing them with intelligent middle-class Americans who hold a professional job outside of politics. Enable a maximum term limit of 4 years, with no current politician allowed to campaign while "on the job" for re-election.
Perhaps then would politicians no longer be accused of being "out of touch", when they have to rejoin the working class at the end of their term.
~Jacob
P.S.: Can we fire all the current politicians for refusing to cooperate with their co-workers? I know that if I got this little done in a year at work, I would have been fired months ago!
Get busy worrying about jobs and not social issues. Need social reform in many areas, but the priority has to be jobs. Jobs will solve the deficit problem and fund future social reforms.
The first step in the process of finding a solution to the rate of unemployment is that we admit that THERE IS NO SOLUTION, at least not one that will bring us back to pre-crisis days. The real estate mess and its cousin, the Wall street debacle sucked trillions of dollars out of the economy, pretty much permanently. Hundreds of thousands of jobs depended on those dollars...and they're gone. Only government programs, with their concomitant debt, will slowly, but oh so slowly, improve the situation. The question is, how creative, effective and prudent will those government programs be.
Jack,
The "ULTIMATE SOLUTION" ? Sounds like something out of the 1930's. There is no ultimate solution, these are economic ups and downs in a free market economy. Hold onto your fanny with both hands, the ride gets rough at times.
Love the way everyone attacks the unemployed all the time .Lets see -Why not give more money to banks and investment companies for bonuses and to keep in the bank to gain more intrest at no cost ?
Unemployed people did not cause this economic disater we are in. Thousands and thousands are losing their homes ,going bankrupt and cannot afford to pay bills. Okay Jack can you spare a dime ?
It's one of the programs we should not eliminate. There's billions being wasted on programs and committees that are essentially useless whereas unemployment benefits really help people to avoid becoming homeless. Once homeless, other societal costs arise. I'm not sure which is cheaper, but there's surely other programs to cut first...like beaurocratic committees that "oversee" things and get paid way too much to give us the same results we had without their input.
Where is FDR and his three R's when you need him? History repeats itself regularly so let's take a page from a tried and true play book and focus on some relief, recovery and reform. You know reading about the Republican stance in the 30's and how they opposed FDR's " 3 R's" and listening to the GOP message today reminds me of the Old Alcoholic that tries the same behavior over and over expecting different results and outcomes. Jack, can we find a RA Group (relief, recovery and reform) Anonymous for all of us?
Although President Obama's heart is in the right place, America will soon discover that it can be too generous with unemployment benefits and welfare, not to mention turning a blind eye to illegal immigrants and their underground economy. Fiscal restraint is called for now. America appears to have been scammed with the bailout of Wall Street and large banks and corporations, not to mention the useless wars. Trillion dollar deficits now loom as far as the eye can see into the future. Is it too late to reduce spending drastically? If it is too late, America cannot survive beyond this decade.
It's one of the programs we should not eliminate. There's billions being wasted on programs and committees that are essentially useless whereas unemployment benefits really help people to avoid becoming homeless. Once homeless, other societal costs arise. I'm not sure which is cheaper, but there's surely other programs to cut first...like beaurocratic committees that "oversee" things and get paid way too much to give us the same results we had without their input.
San Fran., CA
It is hopeless Jack without an extremely radical change to the WHOLE financial system wherein the Government emasculates the Fed and the Banks and takes over the system itself. The Central Bank should be We The People !! Control the money .. link it to the GNP .. print money and put it DIRECTLY into the system through huge infrastructure rebuilding programs throughout America. Jobs ?? How many do you want ( to create ) ? Simplistic but very few can see it. Probably Ron Paul. Thank you.
Jack, on April 27th, I celebrate (sic.) my third year of unemployment. I am a 54 soon to be 55 year old. During the last three years, I went back to college and obtained two degrees. The last one was as a Summa Cum Laude graduate. Currently, I am a year shy of completing my MBA. I apply to double digit number of jobs each week. I do not think there is a government solution to the current problem. Life comes at us in cycles. Some good and some not so good. It is up to each individual to persevere and make the best that they can from the situation. Each person should strive on enriching themselves in education and supporting others. I doubt there will ever be a government solution to self motivation. You either have it or you do not.
Create a massive WPA-like jobs program. Our national infrastructure is a disgrace, and a serious drag on future progress. Our electricity grid is failing. Our water allocation system is falling appart. Our schools and hospitals need work. Why is it so difficult to put people to work addressing these pressing needs? Simple answer – the country is controlled by those who have theirs, and are not interested in sharing. As long as "I have mine – sucks to be you" is the norm in this country, we are doomed!
After 39 years with AT&T/Lucent, at 60 years of age, I was downsized while younger workers and new international offices took over the work. I see lots of stories of older folks losing their well paid jobs with little hope of ever getting a similar position. As for me I had to take Social Security earlier than planned. I paid taxes for over 40 years and now the government is broke when I need help. Give me a break!! For decades we have let jobs escape overseas, we hire H1b foreigners while qualified older Americans are unemployed. The country is headed for a big disaster...
We need to make more things that we use – more manufacturing jobs, more industries. Many of the old manufacturing jobs at least gave workers a chance to better themselves while developing job skills. That environment doesn't seem to exist much these days. Seems now that you either have to have technical skills or work in retail. Pgh PA
rebuild infrastructure which should have been done in the first place
Easy, just end all guest worker visa programs. Send them home and abandon free trade. That should do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jack – you haven't been listening. If taxes are cut for the wealthy, trillions of high-paying jobs with benefits will suddenly appear and we will then ALL be wealthy (and pay no taxes).
Pay attention, it's faux 101.
Legalize pot! Imagine the boost to the economy and jobs that can be created – from farmers, marketing, truck drivers etc.
I've had a solution for a while.....and once it is presented, it will grow like wildfire......because the focus is on "Jobs" first!
I believe the goverment should pretty much force people into a job. I believe that if you are about to graduate high-school you should get a year to either decide to join the military, go to a higher education, or have a job or apprenticship lined up. (Of course there are circumstances that I could understand I would see waivable). If for some reason you lose your job laid-off or whatever happens that you would only be able to collect unemployment for 6 months. I am sure that you could find a job even if it is minmum wage, in which case I would have no problem with the goverment to use tax dollars to help those along the way wether it be welfare or another goverment program. It is not too hard to look for a job while you are working, so I dont like the excuse that I was making this much and refuse to take a job making a lot less money. There is much more I would say but I think that will do for now.
The main thing I understand is that many people are not bothered that 45,000 people die a year because they do not have access to a doctor, according to a Harvard study. If there is an alternative that can achieve the goal of 100% coverage, costs less, and involves no governent action, let's hear it.
First remove the minimum wage. If an employer can find an employee to do the job at their standard for a pay that the employee is willing to accept, let them. More jobs, less debt. Granted a person who job soley consists of "welcome to W#######" won't be making middle class wages.
Second,stop telling people the economy is going to return to the state it was before the bubble burst. It is not going to return to that level unless we start giving money to people that shouldn't be borrowing it.
I am against all those legelators who say "American don't want.." – they were not elected by all Americans – not even every one in their state. I am for this bill as a first step. Tthe United States of America must go into the future and see Universal Health care to preserve democracy – other wise the status quo will drag us into unhealth and lact of competition.
The hyberbole of the minority whip and senate minority leader remind me of the rantings of some demi god in a third world nation – serving only to stir up the masses not clear the way for clear thinking.
I am a veteran, a teacher, a patriot – health and education should not be railroaded by hyperbole and political mud slinging.
My ancestors came from Tennesee and many relatives still live there. They are sick to death of this.
The only way to get out of the current jobs crisis is to get government involvement on several fronts:
1. Make American products more exportable to generate more demand using tax incentives, overseas advertisement, various trading deals, etc.
2. Continue investing in infrastructure upgrades, such as high speed rail lines, highways, bridges, schools, etc. This will add money to workers (read consumers) pockets.
3. Open up high tech, scientific and related white collar positions through government research grants, etc.
4. Keep pushing Health Care reform, as we need to stem bankruptcies and unbearable costs of Health Insurance for small businesses and self employed individuals.
That's exactly true. Let's face it, we have to invest in schools, research, biotechnology, green technology and high technology. It will cost money and it will increase the deficit. But do we have a choice? Staying put is actually sliding down and debt becomes more of a burden. Only growth can reduce the relative costs of the debt, even if nominally the number stays the same.
Simple Jack punish corporations who send jobs to other countries but make money off the American people.
merican Steel would be a good start. Buying cars that are actually made in the US would be another.
The solution to unemployment has always been the same – robust economic development in new sectors and industries and available capital for investment. Unfortunately, we don't have new economic sectors (largely because we outsourced our manufacturing, which means that, with cheaper labor costs, there is less clamor for improving efficiency and other types of innovation). And we blew our credit limit by allowing RIDICULOUSLY risky investments by our largest banks. So, at this point, the ULTIMATE solution is for America to slink towards Third World wages, to compete with the labor pools abroad. Thanks, global capitalists – you did a great job on our economy and middle class. (That's sarcasm.)
Jack,
A few suggestions for your question,
One, free trade agreements with as many countries as we can get. Get other countries, especially China and India, to remove their import tarrifs. We export more, we have more jobs.
Two, Capital Gains tax holiday for a few months. This will reduce the cost of investing, buying a house, and a multitude of other things that will create demand over a wide swath of our economy.
Three, tax the hell out of oil. The benefits from this will be multi-fold; it will increase demand for domestic production-more jobs, it will make alternative energy, including natural gas, more attractive-more jobs.
America is in a fundamental shift, just like the turn of the 19th century when we went from horses to cars, to oil and electricity. We need to embrace this shift and be a leader, instead of fighting it and letting incumbant weak-minded politicians control it.
To hell with health care reform, we need trade reform. As long as corporations have a free ticket to outsource manufacturing jobs, we will see the trend continue. Fair trade, not free trade, will go a long way to restoring America's future. At least then, we might be able to afford government mandated health coverage.
We need a economy. We need to be making something. We need to do what America does best, and that is being an innovator. We need to decide that we will blow the doors open on green technology and energy independence. We will strive to be the world leader in greenhouse emission reduction.
The solution to un-employment and our poor, decrepit, service ecomomy, is to change our laws so, if we have safety, environmental or labor laws on the books governing our producers and manufacturers, then all of our trading partners in the world
should have to abide by the same laws. We can compete with anyone, when it is on a level playing field. If another government puts Tariffs on our products, we should do the same to them. Lets get rid of the unfair trade practices pushed by lobbyists form big corporations.
Offer tax incentives to small businesses to hire people as apprentices, in jobs such as cabinet making or brick laying, jobs that people have no skills but are needed, there are many able bodies but not everyone can join a union to get hired, and yet few possibilities, how about paying the employer a fraction of the unemployment to hire staff that can help with the growth and not impose too much financial strain, offer them medical coverage, basic care, with co-pays for all medical treatment. I think this can work in many fields, from restaurants to nursing homes etc.
Well Jack here's the real problem with that: After working in the Manufacturing business for 20+ years I do know how that area works and once any company lays off their employees and "find out" they can handle the work load with fewer people, they don't hire them back !!! And I believe firmly that's what has happened and won't be fixed by any government programs, It all comes down to "when the business' work load increases....
The facilitation of private sector growth, via tax cuts, is what has worked in the past. sadly, it seems all the growth lately has been in government employment. The pending health care bill is chock full of mandates that will cripple small businesses. The people who provide jobs, contrary to what this administration thinks, are not the enemy.
Job creation is both a confidence and trust issue. Obama wants small business to hire but keeps throwing a bad health care plan and confussion about what taxes will be paid. 2 weeks ago his talk was all jobs,then suddenly back to health care. Next is immigration so called reform. Next the cap and trade. He keeps every one stirred up and uncertain when to hire. The worst thing was even after winning the election on Nov 4 2008 he keep saying this was the worst economy he had ever seen until March 2009. I believe he caused 2% extra unemployment. I believe he is a Zealot and he can not govern. They say the man doesn't make the Presidency, the Presidency makes the man. In Obamas case I am very worried.Ken Krieger 239-283 7385 Cape Coral Florida
We need to stop importing shoddy products from china and start making our own. The uber-rich in this country need to step up, sell their useless expensive goods and 7th mansion, and put that money into an American company that makes toys, games, etc.
If they're unwilling to do this, they should be taxed to all hell and the goverment needs to do it.
We can blah blah all day about how that's socialism but bottom line is America needs to help itself out of this hole the rich have dug us into somehow.
Also, since we could never have population control fly here, there needs to be motivation for people to have less kids. It boggles my mind these families (or non-families where each kid has a different father) with 4 and more children. What are you thinking? Two adults should make no more than TWO children. Otherwise we are multiplying like germs, using up all our resources and jobs just because people are too lazy to use birth control.
I think we should do like we're doing with healthcare. Just give a job to everybody – better yet, just give a check to everybody. Then they can sit back and take the time to be an artist or writer or photographer or something equally worthwhile.
Jack, the long term solution to the unemployment problem is to provide money to help employers pay for salaries who hire those who are unemployed. In essence a bonus at least until we get most of the population back employed. Also this money that the government pays to the employer should be taxed to the corporations who move jobs overseas. These are the people who have helped to cause this problem.
Jack,
There may not be an ultimate solution. Manufacturing jobs have gone overseas to lower paid employees for years, and even if they return to the US most of the work will be done by computers and robotic automation. As bad as it sounds, employment and the economy have always been cyclic. Why would that change now?
Tax breaks for hiring, looser regulation for small business loans, higher education, faith, and hard work have always been the best medicine ,and they probably still are.
Lee
Celina, TN
Take the cost of healthcare off the backs of employers. Single payer NOW!!!
Why isn't this administration creating REAL jobs with a DIRECT IMPACT that immediately help the unemployed? Under FDR, the WPA was the largest employer in the country (until the war). Most people who needed a job were eligible. Before 1940, the project's original legislation had a strong emphasis on training.
Too bad we are countering unemployment by creating more debt, rather than providing a national program that would re-train employees and offer them an opportunity to work for a living wage.
Our blind obligation to follow the failed principals of keynesian economics will drive us into a debt that will destroy our children's future.
Get the politicians to do their job and pass legislation that will help jobs to stay in this country. Actually, the high and mighty owners of companies that only want the profits they make by sending jobs over seas should be taxed to the hills. I still cannot get it out of my head how Mr. Gates made a statement a while back that this country did not have qualified people to do the work his company needs. What an insult to the young men and women of America who go to school and work hard to get a degree to be told something like this. If it wasn't for luck, he would be one of the people he has criticized as not being qualified for a job here in this wonderful country of ours. Sure, he does charity work but it would answer him better to stop sending jobs overseas rather than hire the people of this country. In addition he should stop advocating for more work Visas for folks from other countries to come here so he and more like him can pay them lousy wages so they can increase their profits. Our young people need to be treated better than they are. No wonder they get so discouraged listening to folks like him downgrading their abilities all the time.
Jack, Free trade is one of the problems of the unemployment problem. The compatirive advantage that each location has only works if all of the other parts of the trading program also works. When one is out of balance or is out of balance due to interference then the only recourse is import duties. As an industrial country our compartive advantage is our brain, we trained the workforce to be computer smart and then shipped all of the computer jobs off to low wadge countries. We then import the valued added product back and complain about the lack of funds to pay unemployment insurance. Put some import duties on goods that come from countries that abuse their compartive advantage status and use the funds to pay for unemployment and eduction and training of the workforce as a whole. our history shows that this would make that old term "a rising tide lifts all boats true". Tom, Cibolo TX
I think the goverment should make the people that are on unemployment look for jobs and send in a list of employers they contacted and call random numbers. Not just call in and say i was looking for a job. I know people that just sit around all day and watch TV waiting for there unemployment to run out
You Americans need to stop buying so many products from overseas! The last time I was there, it was something of a struggle to find American made products.
By all means, buy a few imported items that you like, but when two thirds of your shopping basket were produced in another country, you've gone too far.
In a supermarket, I watched in horror as countless people bought New Zealand apples just because they were imported, when far superior American apples were available at a lower price.
As a New Zealander, it's nice to see our products getting sales, but shouldn't you be supporting your own farmers and businesses?
Jack; I think even the idiots in the government can figure this out, plain
& simple. BRING JOBS BACK FROM OVERSEAS. People working
means paying taxes, buying products, & downsizing this
enormous debt that is strangling this country.
Jack,
Put the current problems of unemployment to practical use.
Mandate that long-term unemployed work public jobs 3 days a week, whether in hospitals, understaffed schools, infrastructure, or even cleaning streets. The federal government would pay one-half of the unemployment and the city the other half. In addition to possibly finding a new career path, the public underwriting unemployment insurance gets a return on their investment.
Jack, Cut corporate taxes and watch the job creation start flowing. Take the tax rate from the 2nd highest in the world down into the mid- to low 20's to encourage businesses to invest. This will create a domino effect of job creation as businesses expand.
Simple, share the work with a shorter work week. In the 21st Century with automation why are we working 40 hour weeks? Eventually there just will not be enough work hours to go around. Isn't it better to make a little less money and not have to support a large unemployed population? A government tax policy that makes it easier to hire more people without penaty is needed.
Outsource the Ceo lol.
Perhaps now they will finally figure out that outsourcing all our good jobs reduced the number of available good jobs to the point that we cannot recover from it.
Best that Congress passes a new law that requires US corporations, and foreign corporations doing business in the US, to "hire American" and to fine those corporations for using foreign workers in any immigration status.
The solution to long-term unemployment is long term employment.
we have to produce again. We have to stop discriminating against people because of their age. I think the best way to stop that is to get employers completely out of being health care plan providers. People should have their own portable insurance. The reason companies won't hire older workers is because of the health benefit costs. The reason they are fired is because of the health care costs. I am over 40 and several times I have been passed over for full time employment because I was older. Don't tell me it isn't happening. EOEC is doing nothing to really change the culture and neither are the employment agencies, State or otherwise.
10 yrs of tax free manufacturing..for any new or existing company that employs over 100 full time (40hrs) people.
Jack let's be realistic about healthcare. Our country has spent trillions in helping other nations. We as a nation have a moral obligation to help those in our own country that needs it. We can spend trillionsof dollars to maim and murder in wars and conflicts around the world. Republicans are suppose to be more supportive of right to life. In a sense isnt that what healthcare is all about? I vote to stop spending to kill and spend to heal. Let's all stop being hypocrits.
Any U.S. Company should be able to qualify under much less stringent requirements as a tax free company.
This would greatly increase their available capital to provide more jobs.
When I hear people slam "Big Business" I always think - yes and big paying jobs for thousands of workers.
We simply must bring manufacturing jobs back to this Country by any means possible, we've always helped our farmers, so let's help our other businesses compete and prosper, in this global economy.
Two solutions: Eliminate all taxes on companies that manufactur in the US and double the tax deductibility of employees wages that work within the US. A 50K employee becomes a 100K deduction.
Just go to work. Flip hamburgers whatever. A lot of people are too picky on what they want for employment. Beggars cant be choosers. Find something and go to work.
Free education.
Jack:
the problem is serious enough to warrant the kind of effort the federal government made in the 1930's; a new CCC, hiring the long-term unemployed to work exclusively on the crumbling American infra-structure. The people would be working on things that needed doing, and they would be holding skilled jobs. This would mean that the government is acting as the employer of last resort, but so what? If we can bail out our banks and our car companies, why not our people
And don't waste any time looking for Republican votes; besides, they will be busy making sure that gays aren't getting married.
dan
gulfport, florida
I have been unemployed so long that no one will hire me. To top it off I am 56 years old and no one will train me for a new position that pays enough to pay the bills. To top it off my benefits ran out at the end of February so now I have no income at all other than what I can scrounge up from friends and neighbors. Eventually something will have to change or I will end up in the streets. So I have no answer to your question nor no hope for the future.
Tom in Iowa
With a Global Market to goods & services, we will eventually have to "reduce our wages" to compete with the other global countries. As long as our wages are the highest for any country, we will lose more and more jobs. With the economic situation now with lower property values, this is the best time to reduce our wages so they do reflect our property values.
In real dollars the government can never spend less. Services that it provides will only escalate in actual dollars.
Americans want to complain about jobs but do not want to do menial labor even though they are not educated enough to do anything else.
Everyday more and more of the country resembles the third world. Fewer and fewer educated hardworking people need to support aging people who take from the very system they used to contribute to. Additionally, fewer and fewer educated and hardworking people need to support people who do not even want to participate in society and produce illegitimate children at 70% as if it is some sort of badge of courage.
In the long run, tax rates are going to skyrocket while services will be cut.
In terms of solving problems, the government is a bunch of rats nibbling around the crust of a pizza – getting a few crumbs and ignoring the meat – the actual problems that cannot even be discussed let alone addressed and resolved.
Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country has been completely flipped on its head largely because more and more of the people come from places where the government does do everything.
How can a fiscal year have a one-time $800billion cost in it and then the following year's budget be an increase to the prior year's actual – in other words how can the following year's budget not go down by $800 billion from the prior year?
Who knows when the tipping point will arrive and what the result will be, but my guess is, it is coming soon!
Solution: Start requiring people to serve in the United States Miltiary, start requiring two years of college at a minimum, incentives to create small businesses and invest in creating new industries such as green jobs as well as modernizing our infrustructure.
The solution for unemployment is simple: we need to start making things in our country again. We've exported too much of our work for too many years, and this is the result that we are living with. It isn't going to get better unless Americans buy American products.
It's really, really, simple, which is why the government hasn't figured it out yet.
1. Lower business taxes. This will encourage product development, which leads to new jobs, and it will allow companies and small businesses to hire more workers because they have more money.
2. The government can be the solution by getting out of the way. Right now government is the problem. The New Deal caused the Great Depression, so we obviously haven't learned anything if we are expecting the government to fix this mess for us. Quit relying on the government to solve your problems for you. They aren't getting anything done, so it's time to take matters into your own hands by making smart, prudent decisions and working hard. That's what Americans do.
3. Don't spend more money than you have. That is the reason we are in this whole mess in the first place – credit card and mortgage defaults. This goes for individuals AND the government.
Why is there a problem for us to be paid unemployment benefits? We pay into that fund, and so does our employer. Where are the funds? Oh ... maybe they're with our Social Security monies?! The government has no business "borrowing" from these funds.
Let them pay up!
The easiest and number one solution is to outlaw unions they are the ones that have bankrupted companies and forced them to go overseas. They encourage workers to demand more and more pay for less less production.
This economic system is heading over the cliff and no one in Washington is applying the brakes.
It is time for a new system that will be more sensible and self-sustaining.
Citizens are working on this currently. Stay tuned.
Let's learn something from history. You get money l, you work. W.PA.L/ C.C.C , E
Nothing will help our long term unemployment situation until we can change our trade policies and I mean not just tinkering around the edges, but scrap the whole thing.
The solution to the unemployment problem is simple yet I have heard no one mention it. WE should require american retailers to purchase a percentage of theri resale goods in the form of american made products in certain categories. Take , for instance tv's. Since we currently make none in this country, requirement to buy them would create demand and that would lead to the creation manufacturing jobs. There are other benefits but that is the main one for now.
The ultimate solution to long term unemployment is to bring jobs back to the U.S. In the day of profit maximization, firms have forgotten that people are what make business firms run. Outsourcing employment takes jobs from the U.S. and causes there to be less money cycling through the macro economy. With these jobs out of the economy, less people have less money to purchase with, thus forcing firms to see lower sales and revenue, thus forcing either more outsourcing or layoffs. This continues into what we are seeing in the economy now.
So;ution to long term unemployment?
Reduce the human population of the planet. Which part of the word UN-SUS-TAIN-ABLE is it, that we don't understand?
I hate to say this, however, if you remember the Great Depression of the 1930's, what brought the United States out of this depression was World War Two. Maybe a Third World War is necessary.
Obama and Congress need to bring back a program similar to FDR's New Deal. Millions are unemployed and our nations infrastructure is suffering. Let's put America back to work repairing itself.
Over 6 million unemployed...and I would suggest that doesn't include those who are no longer looking to be employed..so the number is actually much higher.
The first post has it right...stop sourcing out.
If Govt wants to play a big brother, put accessibile money into small buisnesses as that is what truely supports the economy.
From my view , the most important thing is to change 'thinking'....this is obvious a tech world now.. new ideas should be emerging ...and laws need to be consistent to protect from monopolies of the tech world... just sayin'
Simple Jack......repeal NAFTA and bring manufacturing back to the US.
Clinton started it, Bush promoted and prolonged it. Until we bring manufacturing back, we are in an endless spiral downward. We could also ask Bush to payback from his family funds all the money he spent on useless wars and drove us into this horendous debt now inherited by the current administration. How exactly did he manage to spend us out of a healthy surplus and this far into debt? But there is no doubt the worst of it happend in the last eight years.
How about if people take some responsibility for their own future? So many people are more than willing to just sit back and accept whatever unemployment extensions are offered. Taking a job, ANY JOB, whether over-qualified or not would make a big difference – being humble is a lifestyle that many could benefit from, and create a system where people appreciate being able to go to work!
Simple!! That;s a good question, Jack.
There are 15 million aliens here taking jobs, those that are not in prison, that is. All we have to do is enforce the law, and send them packing, leaving open jobs for those who are citizens.
There are already white Americans working the fields just to put food on their table, so it is a fallacy that the Mexicans do the jobs that we won't do.
Doris
Ojai, California
Jack –
If you're over 50, you're the first to be let go and the last to get re-hired. Go back to school and start as an intern at 60? Hard to do with pre-existing health conditions, mortgages, aging parents and kids. I hear about a lot of solutions, but, none that fit the hardest hit.
To solve the unemployment crisis, bring back industry that was outsourced. Maybe "IN SOURCE" can be a new term. Any American company not wanting to bring back "outsourced" jobs should be heavily taxed, and they should not have the protection of the United States military.
Paying people NOT to work (Socialism) is no answer. It gets people accustomed to doing nothing and getting paid for it. It kills the Protestant work ethic.
The answer is to continue to pay these people and in order for them to collect the money they will need to perform work on the tons of infrastructure in this country that needs repair or replacement. No work No payl!!!!!
We need to make our own stuff, not import cheap and sometimes lethal garbage from China. And what's with tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas? Stop it! If they threaten to move out of here, let them. They're worth about the same as the banksters who brought the world economy to it's knees and "threatened" to quit if they didn't get their bonuses. Excuse me? Go.
Remove the person that has completly failed the Americans. We need a leader to bring positive hope to americans. If the government would have stopped spending 8 months ago and worked on a balance budget, The Businesses would feel more confident about the future and would start hireing. Americans would also start feeling more confident to spend. This would be a slow process but positive. fact the economy and jobs would improve in one year. A lot of business are not hireing due to the uncertain future. and most people are hanging on to there money due to the governments radical views and a complete disreguard for the americans. This is not an opinion this is a fact.
First, the citizens of the US have to recognize that moving the production of goods to the lowest cost country so that the citizens can have lower cost goods is not necessarily good of the citizens of the US. In most cases it is bad for the citizens because when the production moves to another country, so does the income derived from production. That is, if you have no job, (no income) what difference does it make if a pair of socks costs $2.00 rather than $2.50. We as a society have been taught (primarily by multi-national business) that the lowest cost of production is always good. It is always good if your scope of measurement is global. But if your scope of measure is the good of US citizenry it usually is not good. (To paraphrase Mark Twain, you can't make an economy out of selling Chinese goods to one another).
Second we have to change the system from rewarding speculation to rewarding production. We have to change the system so that an investment in a long term going concern is rewarded more that a short term flip. This begins with the tax code. Speculative income needs to be taxed as high if not higher than ordinary income. Income from production on the other hand needs to be lower. I am referring to dividends paid from income subject to US corporate income tax. Start by eliminating the double taxation of dividends paid from income subject to US corporate tax and derived from production of tangible goods made in the US.
bring back the manufacturing jobs, so that people who don't want to go to or can't afford to go to college can make a decent wage, and can afford high-price items made in the USA, which generates more jobs here.
duh.
The ultimate solution is the private sector. But how can they provide jobs when they have to provide health benefits to every permanent employee and deal with the cost and administrative nightmare that that entails. Here's a health care bill: Make it illegal for any employer to provide healthcare, then everyone would have to buy it on the open market just like car insurance.
Big Ideas,,, Jack,,,, from restocking our oceans and lakes,, to making,, 5 mile high structures.
Seems easy enough to me, Jack. We need to change import laws to keep manufacturing jobs in this country. We don't to import more from a country than they import from us. Wouldn't this qualify as fair trade?
Start a business and work for yourself. Surely not all the unemployed are untalented. Though true securing credit could be problematic and healthcare is a concern, it is a real proposition for some and could be a real boost to the overall economy. We must begin advocating and creating a better climate for entrepreneurship in this country again.
No need to worry Jack. Here in Charleston WV, where we exported the most coal last year we have solved that problem. We will have "green"jobs soon. Dow Chemical gave the state 10 million in property and buildings. Now we can have research and development
centers there and create green jobs. Thanks govenor.
Elect federal officials who will prioritize the interests of our country and US citizens instead of pandering for votes and otherwise representing special interests. We could readily resolve the unemployment issue by forcing illegal aliens to self-deport, requiring employers to prove there aren't Americans to fill their jobs before issuing visas, revoking tax deduction rewards for companies that outsource jobs and shift the financial incentive to those that hire American, leveling the playing field with our trading partners, stop redistributing the wealth from those who create jobs to highschool dropouts, and many other common-sense solutions. The solutions are readily available. All we need are policy makers who have a desire to solve the problem.
Jack the ultimate solution to long-term unemployment is to dump NAFTA, and set high tariffs on products made out side the U.S. so it will be cheaper to make these products here. Let's out source all news job for 2.00 dollars an hour Jack and see how the press will like that.
Untill we have a tax tariff law voted in there will never be enough jobs in this country.You cannot sell into china without them putting a tax on the incoming products.
Where are we coming from? They have slave labor.and dangerous products.
Tax cuts, tax cuts, and more tax cuts Jack. All of these unemployment benefits are increasing the national debt and discourage people from job hunting. Thank God for people like Sen. Jim Bunning.
The long term solution for unemployment is not going to be an easy fix. The easy way out will always lead you back in. Thus, this problem is going to require an educational and scientific push similar to that of the fifties that lead to the technologies created and trickled down by the space race between the U.S and the Soviets that employ people today. And the biotech push in the eighties by Reagan and Mrs Thatcher. In other words, scientific breakthroughs have a trickle down effect. You can't be a car salesman without the engineers to develope the product in the first place.
lets kill two birds with one stone, take all that government money we are using for unemployment and invest in expanding green tech productions. Build more plants for windmills, solar cells, and the tesla motors electric cars. It will give lots of people jobs being productive in our own country and help stop the pollution and use of oil. Although we all know the oil would lobby against such an idea.
I just responded to your previous question Jack as to what all we can keep up with regarding what's in the health care bill and one thing that I can tell you about helping the long term employment situation is that these two matters are closely related I think. People need to realize that health as as it is now pretty much rests on the backs of employers which is not at all conducive to creating more jobs so again I can say we need a heath care plan like our neighbors have got before we can even hope to see jobs coming back.
Years ago there were cc camps for workers to at least have a job making a wage,,,,, why not start the cc camps again and put people back to work
We can tax (Heavily) all imports from the companies who moved our jobs overseas. Then offer them tax incentives to move their FULL operations back here. If they don't move back within a year, up the import tax.
Dig in and struggle back - I suggest all thinking citizens read "The Wal-Mart Effect" by Fishman to understand how we got here and start thinking about how to live with the giant companies who are not motivated by social morality only by the profit motive. Our jobless rate is directly linked to low price ethics!!
Obviously, the solution is education. Business, industry, government and education need to get together on a unified plan to meet the needs of the 21st century in the U.S. We are wasting talent because of drop-out rates, irrelevent education, and lack of motivation by parents, students and teachers. No future means no interest in learning an employable skill. Other countries can solve this problem, so we should be able to, also.
I don't believe there is a quick fix for this countries unemployment. So, my husband and I are considering moving the family to Canada or another country where the economy is more stable.
You want Free Trade? Fine but stick to Europe, Canada, Australia etc... until we stop allowing companies to take advantage of slave labor in place that have no standards we will continue to decline that is just a simple fact!
Energy, the high cost of energy is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Republican politicians are hell bent on seeing that energy prices stay high. Conservative talk show hosts (whom are the voice of the Republican Party) fall all over themselves to belittle any attempt at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Once again we are facing $3.00 a gallon for gasoline.
We must start a major movement in wind and solar energy. We must produce these units here in the US. If we do this we will create a boom that could be like that of the computer. If we do this correctly it will save us all money in the long run and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Had more of the stimulus money went into these projects we would be seeing the results all ready.
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!! That is the answer. Washington sits on it's collective BUTT doing nothing to punish companies who send American jobs overseas. JOBS is what we want and need now! But until we have those jobs we MUST add more weeks of UI benefits to keep millions from becoming Homeless! That bill the senate passed last week DOES NOT EXTEND benefits for the long term unemployed, only the more recently unemployed. READ it yourself. Yet another lie from congress to make themselves look as though they are doing something when actually they are NOT!
The answer is rather simple. Reward companies that keep and create jobs in the states. There has to be a clear performance/reward system in place otherwise why keep a job in the states when you can do it for a fraction of the bottom line cost elsewhere?
Redefine the concept of a corporation so that it must reward stakeholders (not just shareholders). Sanction (tax) those that internationally outsource workers and lay off US workers. Prevent executive reward if layoffs must occur; layoffs are an executive failure and they should not be rewarded for it.
How about deport all illegals, than give 10 million jobs for americans and make them take those jobs.I know it is not easy, but only way to cut back on unemployment benefits.Charlie from toronto canada.
Send illegal immigrants back to where they came from. Temporarily set the wages where people can make a living at the jobs the illegals have now. Focus on the development of small business. Focus training on technical skills and crafts that can actually be used by new manufacturing enterprises. Force all employers, no matter the sector, to embrace lean techniques so that we can use the ideas from the workforce to make us more competitive.
I tend to feel that there are many persons who are comfortable on unemployment. Perhaps cutting it by 20-30% would not only be an incentive to be more serious about seeking a job but would also slow down our ballooning deficit.
It's very simple: Time!
"...[I]t is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts..."
"Are there no prisons?"
Stop the outsourcing of jobs, manufacturing, etc. IMMEDIATELY. This is and has been insane. Bush admin was very big on outsourcing. Obama if I remember his campaign speeches basically swore that he would end outsourcing immediately by changing the rules and loopholes companies have. Obama has done NOTHING about this campaign promise. In fact, I have never heard him mention it again. I guess the D.C. corporate werewolf came to bite Obama in the rear end. Too bad for America.
The ultimate solution to long term unemployment will be when the Baby Boomers are no long in the employment market and America decides to stop exporting American jobs. Till then, welcome to the new norm!
We've been a downward spiral ever since big business forgot that their employees were also their customers. They all jumped on the downsizing bandwagon to increase their profits, but the net result was a drop in sales. Of course, that just led to more and more downsizing.
Americans are the greatest consumers in the world, but only when they have jobs. The third world employees can't afford to buy the products they produce. Just where are the customers going to come from?
My husband has been unemployed for over a year. He works part time JUST for health care benefits while still collecting a little bit of unemployment just to make ends meet (and to get out of the house)
I will tell you what will create more jobs! Universal health care.
People who are resourceful will start their own companies and not worry about working for "the man" doing something they absolutely hate only because of benefits....
Universal health care would allow my hubby to start a business and do something he loves.... but now he works doing something he hates because his wife owns her own business and has smoldering mulitple myeloma. If this cancer goes into full blown stage one, it will wipe out my business...not to mention maybe loosing our homes.
If we didn't worry about health care in this country, we could find the means to make money...we just can't find the means to pay millions of dollars in health care if one of us gets sick or sicker...
Universal health care will allow creative, hard working folks the opportunity to start some amazing businesses and not rely on big corporations to give us jobs.
We already wrote the playbook for rising out of a great depression and into prosperity fairly quickly. Why is this even a question?
The ultimate solution is patience. Jobs will come back when they do.
The real thing they need to make sure to keep sending out the unemployment benefits until companies are ready to hire again.
Perhaps attaching incentives to unemployment benefits ie giving a large cash sum to those who find jobs. So people don t starve and die.
The natural business cycle will return...two years from now the employment rate will be much lower than it is now.
Jack the answer to this puzzle is simple. We must get rid of illegal aliens and stop buying everything from over seas. We have come to a point in America where we have far more people consuming goods then we produce at a reasonable price. We must go abroad to buy those products sending our money overseas. When the money goes so does our economy and our jobs. You can not sustain such debt when you import more then you export.
The solution to long term unemployment is this: At the beginning of every month all members of congress will have a lottery to see which 10% of them will be forced to live on unemployment for that entire month. I have a feeling that the unemployment problem will get fixed pretty darn quickly for the rest of us.
Disgusted in Alabama
Tax companies that source their labor from overseas higher. We are the only country that doesn't protect it's workers. A corporation with a US address that outsources everything to India is not a domestic company and should pay higher taxes on US revenues.
I have a bachelors degree and work in IT and am jobless. I am competing with minors making $5/hour in Hyberdad. I wish I would have skipped college and become a plumber.
These corporations and companies are getting rid of people on purpose to force the value of everything down and drive down wages again. Just think about it, did the government fire people no, but these corporations and businesses sure did! They are holding us back from having a vibrate economy!
I think we all need to buy more Chinese toys and junk....
Then the Chinese will buy more gold....
Then we will all be employed as home builders....
For the Chinese.
Year of the monkee, year of the dragon, we better get it right!
Chop chop!
A good solution would to stop the tax credits for those businesses that have sent jobs overseas. When they send their goods over here for purchase, let them stay at the dock.
Another is to mandate that all banks lend to small businesses where they can hire people.
But reality is that a job isn't promised to you. One can go and apply for work, but you can't make the HR person hire you. If anyone has all the power when it comes to employment or unemployment it is the HR person at these businesses.
Stop exporting the manufacturing of our federal government's and defense products.
Beyond the current financial crisis, a lot of the current unemployment is caused by cheap foreign labor. In the long term, even more jobs will be lost to ever increasing automation. This means that many of the unemployed will have to be doing something different in the future. What is needed is innovation in the economy to create new jobs and education of the workers to be able to do these new jobs.
Jim, Craig, CO
Correction
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!! That is the answer. Washington sits on it's collective BUTT doing nothing to punish companies who send American jobs overseas. JOBS are what we want and need now! But until we have those jobs we MUST add more weeks of UI benefits to keep millions from becoming Homeless! That bill the senate passed last week DOES NOT EXTEND benefits for the long term unemployed, only the more recently unemployed. READ it yourself. Yet another lie from congress to make themselves look as though they are doing something when actually they are NOT!
Create incentives for businesses to hire unemployed AMERICANS!! Stop incentives to send jobs overseas and reduce incentives for companies in America to hire foreign workers brought into the United States to fill jobs. Why is it so hard for Congress to pass legislation that favors American workers in the USA?
Give some type of incentive to companies to bring back to the USA call center jobs that are now off shore. There have been millions of call center jobs sent off shore. These jobs could be brought back to the USA very easily and any cost differential could be offset for the companies by a tax incentive that most likely would be less than the overall cost to the government of the unemployment checks, benefits etc.
Steve said it....Census jobs available, lawn care, agricultural, mining, truck driving, manufacturing, nursing...etc. You can go to work for someone else or start your own business in many positions. Cutting corporate tax rates won't work. They create "straw jobs" based on speculation and leverage, like from 2002-2008. The jobs are available..it's the people that won't work.
Jack
The ultimate solution to un-emplyment is to start up a movement like the tea party to seriousely encourage the public to boycott Chinese products and restore manufacturing base in this country.
What the stimulous package should have been to begin with; green energy independence. Mandate to be fully independent of foreign oil within 10 years, invest in hydrogen, algae based biofuel (including as a means to make coal clean), fuel cells, wind, solar, tidal, etc.
The money that will stay in country rather than go overseas will change the game, and of course many immediate jobs could be created. Difficulty, you think the insurance companies are good spin artists – the oil companies and foreign powers would make doing such almost certain political suicide.
Adopt a protectionist policy like "You don't make it here you don't sell it here. Force our jobs back. This will work very well. It is not on either party's radar. Still working against the middle class they are. The sad part is that due to the propaganda it is not realized by most.
In my mind the ultimate solution would be to mandate all all proposed funded legislation over the next 9 months contain ear marks which have been robustly collaborated and coordinated with the States that creates Jobs for multiple State and National infrastructure(transportation,roads, bridges, tunnels, etc) projects. Republican
U S Senators and Democratic U S Senators alike would be asked to collaborate, and coordinate with State officials to identify a minimum of five (5) infrastructure type projects for their respective States where a minimum of 120,000 jobs per project would be created as a result of these projects.
I like the "solution" proposed elsewhere on the internet which goes something like this: (1) . require all working individuals age 50 or older to take early retirement to free up jobs (2) require that they forgo SS, Medicare, and any fixed government pension fund retirement benefits (3) require that if they don't currently own a home they buy a home, and (4) require that they buy a new American automobile. All of the foregoing in exchange for $1M of the unspent Stimulus funding.
Unemployment, entitlement funding and pension funding shortfalls, Housing and Auto Industry crises.....all solved.
I am not sure that the math works, but as a 55 year old with a "101 K", I think it is a marvelous solution to the country's collective problems.
I think one to thing that needs to be looked into is many of the major companies are laying off employees then turning around and going to employment agencies and getting people to work for less and no benefits and just leaving these people without work this has just recently happen to me.
Thank You
Jack,
I've been unemployed since February 2009. I look for either full time or part time employment daily in the manufacturing industry. Every job oppourtunity I get an interview for there are 30 other applicants just as qualified as I am in my field. The only way to get back the manufacturing job opputunities is to jail those employers that hire illegal immigrants. My former employer laid off the American citizens and cut the pay rate on the illegal immigrants he continued to employ when times got tough in February 2009. To this day 90% of the employees at my former work place are illegal immigrants.
sorry jack, its not going to happen. we have spent, the government and the public, to the extent that we have killed the goose. those "good paying' jobs are all but gone. we are going to become a nation of people making $8 to $10 and hour. its called second class, and we better get used to it.
The companies sending jobs overseas for cheaper labor and greater
bottom lines should have a tax imposed on them, the proceeds of which to go into a fund to help fund the unemployment payments.
I'm sure this will never come to pass because they have, most likley,
already lined the pockets of those who could pass such taxation.
Norm from Mo.
Use a carbon tax to take revenue and reduce labor taxes. This will a) address climate change, and b) boost employment through lower labor taxes.
Then, tax goods from other countries that don't tax carbon. This will encourage China to address greenhouse gasses.
What we need to do is to completely eliminate Government regulation of the finance industry to make this boom and bust cycle bigger and permanent. Then eliminate all unemployment insurance, welfare, social security, Medicare and Medicaid. Eliminate the minimum wage, Sell convicts to private companies, reinsitute vagrancy laws (to keep up with the demands for convict slave labor). Why is it that the anti-goverment folks thing that eliminating the goverment will cause nothing to change for them except that they don't have to pay taxes.
Before you respond to this comment you have to be able to answer the following question "How many depressions has the US gone through?" (hint the answer is not one)
Until manufacturing jobs are returned to this country everything the Gov. tries is in Vane.
Our daughter who is a college graduate and an architect went through 9 months of unemployment. She did free lance design work. And she is back to work, thank God. While she was unemployed without healthcare since COBRA is expensive, we paid $4000.00 for her root canal. We need healthcare now!
Also, in 1983, when Reagan was president and the unemployment rate was...... also........ 10%........ we had two jobs each to make ends meet. You do what you have to do. Whining and complaining don't pay the bills!
The past may years we have witnessed big business take thousands and thousands and thousands of our jobs to Mexico and overseas. What happened in the last year is a testament to the final blow. U.S. businesses need to STOP this and the unemployment problem will be settled. Period.
Exporting jobs to other countries makes no sense at all and it never did. We need those jobs right here. Unemployed people should work for our country to receive their unemployment benefits, they don't like to be out of work for goodness sake, and we need them to support our system. Promote everything for the US . . .bring tourists here, make them want US goods. Encourage US people to figure out business things in their own communities, not other countries.
It started with these treaties, so lets repeal the likes of NAFTA, and put back the tariffs on imports. Stop outsourcing our better paying jobs. Outsourcing is the worst thing for the country and its economy. The citizens lose their income, and the government loses tax revenue. How could we allow this to happen?
I was once told "we don't hire people your age" (I was then 63 or so) which is totally against the law, but not worth prosecuting for anything other than hurt feelings. My "solution" involves shipping the illegals back where they came from, and giving OLDER Americans the chance to work. At the moment, flipping burgers sounds pretty good, but fat chance I'll get hired to do it.
Michigan's been in a recession since 2003. I've been out of work here Michigan for going on 6 years because I've been unable to find an IT job in which I have 35 years of experience. Can't move ... can't sell the house without giving it away. Who ever allowed outsourcing of IT or Helpdesk jobs to India or manufacturing to China? I would really like to know. I will not by a product made in China unless I absolutely need it. This is the only way I know how to show these damn corporations that they need to bring jobs back.
There's no middle class anymore that's to the Republicans who are only good at sitting on their hands and doing nothing that would help the people in this country. Any supporter of this party should open their eyes and see what they're doing to it.
Jack –
During the Great Depression jobs were created by implementing programs such as the CCC, WPA, RURAL ELECTRIC PROGRAM and many others, which employed millions of people building roads, bridges, and needed public facilities and utilities. This administration thinks you can employ people by dumping tons of stimulus money into the hands of bureacrats to squander as they see fit. If they want to see employment numbers increase they've got to do what was done back in the 1930's. The government must begin right now letting bids to contractors to install underground cables, waterlines, etc. so people can be hired and start paying their own way as well as paying taxes. It's simple enough but Palosi, Reid and Obama's Gang can't get it!!!!
Joe M., Staten Island, NY March 15th, 2010 6:13 pm ET
Jack, Cut corporate taxes and watch the job creation start flowing. Take the tax rate from the 2nd highest in the world down into the mid- to low 20's to encourage businesses to invest. This will create a domino effect of job creation as businesses expand.
--------–
See? Cut taxes and pay no taxes. Roads, fires, hospitals, all will take care of themselves.
Don't republicans just make you want to sing Thank You God for providing everything for us?
From ATL, we have a convergence of significant proportions. Loss of public jobs, due to declining revenue, not so bad as most public jobs are just that,a jobs program, while technology has taken countless jobs, which will never be replaced.
Truth be told to the American people, your life is about to change, The rules we have known have changed, so be ready for a tsunami in terms of expecting more of the past, ain't gonna happen.
Go create on your own, make things happen for yourself and others, true to the American spirit,, don't settle for this mindless endgame, be innovative, and show some guts, something we have not had much from in our leadership. WE the people, will bring ourselves out of this pathetic and narsocistic approach to our problems.
God Bless the American people, we get it,, and we are over it.
Why is there such a hard time trying to find work?
Because there are fewer jobs available.
Why is there fewer jobs available?
Because companies were given a fiancial government incentive to outsource jobs by the Republicans back in 2002. Remember?
Plus we now live in a global economy, and with that global economy went our jobs.
But how can we be consumers if we don't have the income to pay for it?
This global economy is very unbalanced. We as American consumers are expected to keep the economy flowing, but the jobs have been sent to other countries. Gee, and it all began with the changing of the foreign trade agreement. Remember Nixon and his talks and speeches especially after his trip to China? The Availability of American jobs just hasn't been the same since.
My daughter , marketing/selling with about 20 years experience
has been out of work for over 18 months. She applied for a
marketing position – 1400 people also applied. They gave the job
to a college grad with zero expeience for $25K. If Obama
says the economy is improving he is full of it!
The solution for tackling unemployment lies with us. We should try our best to buy American products made in America. I am not a born citizen but this is my home now.
We need to finish off the trade agreements as there is no parity in wages between US and other nations. There is no way that we would be able to compete if there are no duties on imports. It the government can not bring about those changes, we should. Even if we have to buy something more expensive made in US, we should do that. That will help bring the manufacturing back eventually. It may be a slow process but will certainly work. (India did that by not buying clothes made in UK before their independence and it worked)
Regarding the services, there has to be a tax on companies that are employing people offshore. It is not very difficult to implement if the government has a will to do it. As citizens, we can not do much about it but if our senators do it (at the expense of money from corporations), it will be a great service to the nation.
We need to stop outsourcing jobs and sending everything overseas. Maybe we sould outsource congress to china and move the white house to mexico, maybe something actually might get accomplished between the two.
Jack. Ironically, I think that one of our possible solutions relys on going to a government run health care system and limits on how much overtime employers can force onto their employees. Though not a popular topic, by removing health care costs from employers, they can in turn spend more money on employees. As it is, companys too suffer the burden of high health care costs. In turn they cut jobs and work more overtime while the unemployed who want to work, are sitting at home costing the taxpayers more money. What happened to the american family??
Well, the ultimate solution is to learn to speak Chinese.
Chuck
Longview, TX
Three Letters: WPA. Except of the 21st Century variety. If we are going to pay unemployment benefits, lets get our money's worth. Offer those on unemployment – someone of whom are clearly qualified – to fill temp positions in government services and administration. With an increase in benefits under unemployment, and a guarantee that workers could begin other employment at any time, the government would be able to access the talent that does exist in the unemployment pool. You can't tell me the Post Office doesn't need help right now, that infrastructure doesn't need repairing, and that government offices hit by the budget cuts couldn't use people who are already getting paid by the government elsewhere. With a bolstered resume and a renewed sense of pride, the American worker could return from unemployment in Obama's WPA.
Jobs have been tied to manufacturing in some form since the beginning of time. Think someone has to build the wheel in some form, plant the seeds to create the food, make the arrow to hunt the meat, breed the cow to get the milk, grow the crops to feed the cow. Make the container to hold the milk etc... So when our country decided to ship manufacturing overseas to low wage workers, they began a downward spiral to ship jobs overseas as well turning our country into a pit of consumerism. Consumerism by its definition does not create but takes and uses. So if you want jobs in the future and you want our country to grow you will need to make something in this country and hire people to make it. That is the solution and it is just that simple. Create the incentives by building up the infrastructure, reward keeping jobs in this country with insentives and you will see jobs being created through manufacturing the products we need and the downward spiral will be reversed. It is that simple.
The best jobs bill we could have is to move forward on cap-and-trade legislation and other policy initiatives that build the "Green" economy. Researching, building, installing and maintaining ever more efficient solar cells, batteries, wind mills, smart grid technologies, mass transportation, etc., are the jobs of the future in an industry that is still budding globally. The only way to seriously jump start the move towards the Green economy is deincentiveize the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are a dead technology. Clinging to them in the face of all the good we can do for jobs and the environment by moving towards green technologies is like stock piling VCRs just as CDs starting becoming widely available and popular.
CEO's should only receive big payouts if their companies are successful and they do it without massive layoffs or outsourcing jobs. It does not take a very smart person to layoff people or outsource jobs almost anyone can do that. It is the truly inspired leader that can make their companies thrive, prosper and grow while keeping the work here in the US. Those are the people that should really be rewarded. If every CEO here in the US had that included in their bonus criteria we would not have the unemployment issue we have today.
Unemployment is a direct result of failed, so called free trade policy. It is the result of indifference by corporate America that seeks the lowest wage payable. And it is the result of public and congressional apathy. Every job sent over seas and every manufacturing plant built overseas by corporate America creates more unemployment. What will we be without manufacturing, research, technology, education and a skilled, well paid, educated and employed work force? How will we defend our selves? With imports from China? The current American trade policy is simply stated, national suicide. We desperately need leadership to pave the way out of the slide to our way to becoming a third world country. We must wake up. All of us.
Walmart must sell only US made products = job problem fixed.
In the past 30 years the American economy has become driven solely by quarterly profit. The relentless pursuit of quick, easy cash by the elite than run our mega-banks and global corporations has resulted in the wholesale displacement of jobs to low-cost countries. It is unsustainable and must be stopped by serious anti-trust laws that are actually enforced. If that does not happen there is no end in sight. For the record, I am in favor of free trade in open global markets, but sadly that idea has been hijacked by those with their hands on the levers of power.
Creating jobs requires more than one alteration to our current financial and business models.
It is time for large corporations to start expanding their infrastructures. The 10-year outlook for businesses, wherein projects are forecast and financed, should be set in motion today. Perhaps a tax incentive for creating these types of jobs would be the needed push to get the corporate behomeths to move their feet.
For instance, cell phone companies need to expand their coverage by building new towers and expanding their bandwidth capabilities.
I think technology has been ripening on a vine for the past twenty years, and it's time for the U.S. work force to pick that sweet fruit and turn it into something productive.
Businesses, not the government, are going to alleviate our unemployment woes. We simply need to convince said businesses that now is the time to invest–and invest heavily–in the United States.
Hello Jack,
Let me commend you for the very important role you have undertaken
to obtain the public's view on this Health Care Refom. I lost my job on Feb.24, 2010 four days after my company cancelled my Medical Insurance I have three medical ailments to deal with on my own.
President Obama is on the right track to have this bill pass .The rich introverts don't care about those who cannot afford to pay for their
medical bills.President Obama should be highly commended for
the very bold task he has taken on to have this Health Care Reform
Bill pass.
Let us not be ungrateful.
The economy has turned into a big game of chicken, when there is a hint of economic trouble large corporations trip over each other to cut staff so they can say "me too" on their shareholder conference calls. They never give a thought to the fact that when they cut staff somewhere down the food chain there are people who buy the product/service they generate and now cannot. Currently everyone is in their fox hole waiting for the enemy to stop shooting – who will be the first to stick their head out and start hiring again? Think of it, if these geniuses of business each hired back a few hundred people, there would be many other people down the food chain (dry cleaners, restaurants, travel agents, etc.) who would once again be able to make a living and have the money to buy the product/service these corporations offer! Who will blink first?
Well, we could reinstate the draft. A lot of men are entering the service just to get health care for their families. Then we could put a two or three moritorium on outsourcing jobs (especially high tech), sibce we have a lot of people graduating from college who can't find jobs. And then we could put a stop on outsourcing of other jobs – like manufacturing. I'm so tired of buying everything from China. Put a heavy tax on big companies just so they get cheap labor and make bigger progits.
Jack, the easiest thing is to kick out all of the illegal immigrants and make their countries find them work instead of coming over to our country and stealing ours. If employers paid a decent wage people would work any job, buy not as slaves or serfs.
Long term unemployment is best helped by a healthy economy. A healthy economy is characterized by a lot of transactions – more transactions, more work for everyone, which engenders more money that people used to buy and make more transactions. You encourage a healthy economy by helping the lowest income people up a bit – they have to spend their money to live locally which helps themselves and the rest of us – a lot!!!!. Cutting taxes and allowing stratification – gives more money to a few which creates a situation where these few people sock away money and spend it overseas which intensifies the problem. So welfare and unemployment help far far more than tax cuts for the rich.
Kate – Sacramento CA
Raise the tax rate on millionaires to 70%.
Raise the tax rate on billionaires to 80%.
Jack, perhaps we should look at our past history. What did we do when our economy was in dire straights during the depression? There are plenty of bridges and roads out there that need repaired and a lot of people that want to work. Put them to work repairing local roads and bridges in their community. Jobs bring in money for the workers and taxes for the government. Not only do we furnish jobs, but we also rebuild this nation at the same time. Let's take care of our own and worry about the rest of the world later.
Hi: Economists and news papers have talked about this and they are right:
Give everyone over fifthy one million dollars and they retrire.Job problems ease. they all buy new homes or pay off house loans and the housing industry is helped.All buy a new American car and the auto industry is helped.People could help students pay off loans and credit cards. Give money to the people and not the banks and wall street that created this mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You
With all the partisan wheel-spinning about healthcare and Wall Street reform, maybe we need Congressional reform. Boot the current crop for ignoring the crux of joblessness problem, and replace them with qualified candidates from the ranks of the unemployed. Just a hunch: a Congress populated with 535 previously unemployed Americans will likely poll much better than the House and Senate's current 15% approval rating.
Maybe these average folks can pass real jobs reform, which would be a true stimulant to recovering our economy. They certainly could do no worse than Harry, Nancy, Barney, Chris, Steny and the rest of the Capitol Hill gang that can't legislate straight.
As someone who was laid off and then started my own business, I say:
1) allow unemployment benefits to be paid to those of us who are getting off our a** and building a business. Not just filling out application forms for jobs we won't be interviewed for anyway (since we're "overqualified").
2) realize we have ZERO net job growth in the last decade. All the run-up of the DJIA and the housing prices was smoke and mirrors. We have not been investing in ourselves (education in high tech, etc.) nor have we been investing in technologies, patents, etc in our country. Other nations like India, China and Vietnam are therefore passing us. It's too many years of resting on our laurels.
3) Like Vadim said above, we need to invest in our infrastructure (bridges, highways, the like) - that, in itself, will create jobs. Ditto for all the sciences - like we did in the days of Sputnik. (That's how my dad - a scientist - was employed.)
4) companies need to incentivize the long-term view. Right now, company execs are forced into a short-term, next-quarter outlook because that's how they get their bonuses. Until we can consider the long-term in solving problems, we have no hope.
4a) and about Wall Street - why are the ratings companies like Moody's getting their compensation from the fund companies like Goldman Sachs? That issue s/h/b fixed when the financial meltdown happened!
Dear Jack for us unemployed I just ran out of unemployment exausted my benifits, but I am still looking for work thru the system to let them know I am still out here, but the system wont let me access my account, so it reads I am not looking for work no longer, I wonder how many more of us are out here. and as far as I can tell we have been taken over bye the chinese and if not we people in Indiana are the piolot state for what is to come the rest of the country Fascist controlled, the courts are bought bye corperations just as Bad as communisim, in my opinion
No more outsources to foreign countries.
One example, I called one of the three credit bureas and the call center was outsourced overseas!! I was not going to give my personal info to a person from overseas Who knows what they would do with my personal info and commit identity theft. I asked politely to be transferred to a person in the usa and was told to call back because they outsource to 15 countries. I went online and finally found a toll free number to call between 9-3 pm where I could talk to someone in the usa.
This is unfair to have americans give out their personal info to foreigners who could commit identity theft with their info
All companies that outsource should be required to pay fines to the government for taking jobs out of this country and bringing them overseas.
When I call a place and I get a foreign person, I will not talk to them and I ask for an AMERICAN. I have stopped doing business with several credit card companies because their call centers were outsourced.
ANd I will continue to do so. if you outsource , u will not get my business ever. every american should do this and u will see they will bring back the jobs here
Jack,
Probably not the answer you would be looking for, but I believe the whirlwind of solutions and immediate resolution to not only the unemployment issues but health care reform as well – is simply this...
Put an immediate hold on ALL PAY and ALL INSURANCE coverage for EVERY MEMBER of Congress – until bills were passed in agreement by MAJORITY of BOTH parties, in both the House and Senate UNTIL both issues were signed into law!! Of course not realistic, but I bet it would be an amazing unheard 'record' for bi-partisan at its best and beyond
Hello, I have a solution to the problem of unemployment, there are many million of undocumented worker, send them back home so at American citizen can go to work and penilize the employer that employ undocumented worker, in Austin Texas is about 94% of food outlets operating this businesses and proffetionlas chefs like me cannot found a job there is a law in the book that providing employement to undocumented worked is suppose to fine 15,000.00 per effraction.
That will eliminate unemployement and we us citizen can face bour families without to feel guilty not being able to provide.
Signature :
Unemployed for 8 months and I am willing to sweep the streets.
Jobs have been exported out of this country for years......THEY ARE NOT COMING BACK.....no matter what 'feel good' propoganda comes out of the mouths of all our assorted politicians and economists. The people with money are headed for the exits of our economy. So to the last on left in the New America working some crummy service job.....please turn out the lights when you leave.
The top tax rate under President Eisenhauer was 94%.
He was a Republican, and a World War 2 hero. The current Republicans don't want Americans to be reminded of Eisenhauer's tax rates!!
Reading through some of these comments, it's alarming how many people have no idea what is going on in this country. First, your average long-term unemployed person is 50-plus, holds at least one degree, and has spent 25 years or more in the work force. Stop suggesting that people are sitting home collecting big checks for not working- that is beyond ridiculous. Most people don't realize that unemployment pays a fraction of what your job paid- it's not enough for anyone to live on. We're not talking about welfare moms in the 80's- we are people who lost our jobs THROUGH NO FAULT OF OUR OWN- if you were fired or quit, you are not eligible for unemployment. Secondly, THERE ARE NO JOBS. Many people have already exhausted their benefits- they are losing their houses and facing homelessness in many cases. There are hundreds of applicants for every technology job I apply for- not just 5 or 6. I worked for over 20 years for a huge corporation that has sent most of their IT work off-shore- a.k.a. India- or given our jobs to H1-B visa recipients.
To create jobs, stop letting companies get away with abuse of H1-Bs, which are supposed to only fill jobs for which there are no qualified American workers. Penalize companies who lay off workers and then fill the jobs with H1-Bs, blatently abusing the system. Since our president has wasted the last year working on health care (whatever happened to him focusing on 'jobs, jobs, jobs' after the Dems lost Kennedy's senate seat?), the government needs to do what they should have done over a year ago- create jobs via a WPA or other government-type program. I'd rather be working, no matter how little the paycheck may be, than collecting unemployment. And how about some re-training? My old job is never coming back. I'm paying out of my pocket to take some classes, but why can't the government do something- anything- to help us out? We are creating a permanent underclass in this country, and it's like we're invisible.
119 Power Houses cancelled or put on hold in the last 2 years....no big deal you say thats about 200 billions dollars of private investment over the next five years. Manufacturing needs base load power you can run a foundry off Windmills and when corporations look at potential manufacturing sites they look very closely at the ability to create affordable consistent energy. These are high paying technical jobs that cant be outsourced I say start building NOW it cant wait
Jack,
A program to begin repairing our crumbling infrastructure could help. Every state could put thousands to work. Some of the income paid out would come back in the form of taxes and those employed would be learning new skills or honing old ones. It's no silver bullet, but it could help.
Jim
Reno, Nevada
Any way you look at it, it's going to be long and painful. But, just maybe, it's time to reexamine the concept of the two income family (that could be a really big plus for America's kids). Of course, that also means a reexamination of what it means to have a decent life in America.